Deputy Speaker Position: Comparison of MP Rohini Wijeratne and MP Ajith Rajapaksa – August 2020 to March 2022

Abstract

This parliamentary report card is a comparison of MP Rohini Wijeratne (SJB) and MP Ajith Rajapaksa (SLPP) who were nominated for the election of the new Deputy Speaker of the 9th Parliament on 17 May 2022. It is based on analysis of Hansard data from August 2020 to March 2022. It compares their attendance in parliament sittings (i.e. Rohini Wijeratne - 134/150; Ajith Rajapaksa 148/150), total number of productive interventions they made in parliament (RW – 114; AR - 37) and topics which were discussed most by them in the parliament. MP Wijeratne’s top contributing topics are Economy and Finance, Education and Rights and Representation while MP Rajapaksa’s top contributing topics are Economy and Finance, Trade and Industry and Justice, Defense and Public Order.